Last of the Valerious
by Kalli J. Wolfram
Summary: A descendant of the Valerious family lives, an old foe arises, and the help of a stranger. Rated T for safety. First fanfic. Based on an RP I did a long time ago. R&R please. No Flaming!
1. Prologue

**Ok, so this is my first fanfic. It's based on a roleplay I did when VH first came out. Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the VH world. I do however own my OC.**

**PROLOGUE**

She looked up at the pale full moon in the dark night sky, then back down to the sacrificial post that the man was bound to. "_Your master released you for a reason so where the bloody hell are you?!?_," she thought to herself. Justice saw the man starting to fight against his bindings, but seeing that there was no way of escape he stopped. "_Good job, Maeniel. Just keep that up",_ Justice thought worried. Her older brother, Maeniel, was the man bound to the post. Justice stood there with one hand on the hilt of her sword ready for anything and everything that could possibly go wrong. "_There hasn't been a successful hunt since our father's disappearance…and now Maeniel is trying to catch it for the first time since he disappeared. He's either very foolish or one of the bravest souls I know,"_ she thought to herself and a proud smile came to her face.

Justice heard something snap near by and she quickly moved over to where the noise had come from, while her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. The clouds covered the moon and it went pitch black in the forest. She stopped walking, noticing that the woods became very still and silent. Justice saw the lantern that was fastened to the saddle of her horse; it was flickering, the flame threatening to die out. She began running to it and when she got there the flame died. _"This is not good,"_ she thought looking over to where her brother was bound. A high-pitched howl came from the woods by the post and she once again shot off running, sword ready to strike.

The beast jumped out of the woods landing right in front of Maeniel. Maeniel flipped backwards landing on top of the pole and pulling off his bindings. He drew his pistol that had silver bullets in it and aimed. The creature jumped up the pole and swung at Maeniel, just barely knocking him off. He looked up remembering that there had been an escape rope put up above him just in case something like this would happen. He jumped up and grabbed it.

"Pull me up!! Pull me up!!," he called to one of the men.

The rope started to raise Maeniel up out of harms way when suddenly it stopped. He looked to the ground, seeing that two men where trying to climb the tree to untangle the rope. Justice ran faster, her heart racing. She heard a man say, "It's stuck, it's stuck!! The rope is stuck!!" Seeing Justice coming to his rescue, Maeniel signaled to the men to back away from the rope as he managed to swing himself over onto a nearby tree branch.

"Justice, no!," Maeniel cried out, but seeing that nothing could stop his little sister from coming to help him he gave a signal and then yelled, "Cut the rope!! Cut it now!!" The creature jumped down and the ground beneath its feet collapsed. Justice stopped just inches away from where the ground had caved in. She had all but forgotten about that trap they had set. She leaned over to look at the creature struggling to get out. A leather bag closed around the growling creature and it began to come quickly towards her. Justice did a back flip and got out of the way of the contraption just in time. She landed on her feet and looked up to where her brother was. He drew his pistol, aimed, and…suddenly, the bag slammed into the tree and he dropped his pistol.

"Maeniel!!!," she called up to him as he hung onto a tree branch for dear life.

"My gun!! Justice, find my gun and hurry!!" She nodded and started looking around. She pushed past the men that were firing at the bag, trying to kill the beast.

"Find Maeniel's gun, it has the silver bullets!!," she commanded, but no one listened to her. Then, out the corner of her eye she saw the gun and it was right underneath the bag. She heard a rope snap and the bag began to fall. She started running towards the gun…it would be close.

"Justice, look out!!!" Maeniel called down to her, seeing that his sister was taking a huge risk. The bag fell on the gun and she stopped seconds before crashing into the bag and the creature. Its ferocious head popped out looking her square in the eyes, full of rage. She turned around and did what came natural…she ran for her life. The creature was gaining on her and she decided that looking back was not a good idea. Justice knew these woods well and knew that the only way was down. Justice stopped, seeing that the only way to get away from the large predator was by jumping off a cliff. She turned around and saw the beast standing in front of her. _"If this is to be my death at least I shall die nobly," _she thought to herself. She heard gunshots and moved out of the way of the falling creature. _"Maeniel!!" _she thought. Sure enough there was her brother pistol in hand. Then something went horribly wrong as the creature fell he started to reach for something to grab onto. The beast grabbed her brother and they both went over the side of the cliff.

"MAENIEL!!!" she called down into the darkness. No answer but the sound of the large creature hitting the rocks. Justice's eyes shifted, looking desperately for any sign that her brother might have lived. But when the tears came, she was powerless to stop them.

-------

Justice rode back to the manor in silence, still in shock from what had happened earlier. _"This wasn't what was suppose to happen,"_ she thought, _"Maeniel was suppose to be the one who lived…not me. He was the strong one, he was to carry on our family." _A silent tear ran down her cheek. She was only an hour from their family manor. They had returned to Transylvania to catch the creature and hopefully destroy it. _"A least we succeeded in doing something,"_ she thought trying to think positive.

It was just after sun up when Justice arrived at the manor. Her mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw the familiar figure lying in the front yard. She stopped her horse and dismounted.

"Maeniel," she whispered to herself while running over to him. She knelt beside him and propped his head up. His breathing was unsteady and he was barely alive. His clothes were tattered and blood stained his chest. Maeniel's eyes gradually opened to look up at her.

"Maeniel?"

"Justice, you must…you must leave…" he said weakly.

"No, I shall not leave you," she said in a soft tone.

"You must leave here…do not return…it will come for you," he said his voice possessing some strength. Justice didn't understand why her brother was telling her to leave.

"Go now and…"

"I will not," she said stubbornly, trying not to break down.

"Promise me…promise me that you shall not return…for it would bring…" he said his voice getting weaker now. _"Why?"_ she thought,_ " Why do you want me to leave here so badly?"_ More tears ran down her cheeks as she watched him slip away.

"Promise me," he said his voice soft. Justice just nodded as her answer and then kissed his forehead. He seemed to look at something only he could see and his eyes widened.

"It has wings, Justice…with a face straight out of hel…" Soon he was silent and then he was still. Justice pulled her brother's lifeless body close and held him while weeping.


	2. Chapter 1

**A Few Years Later**

It was a cold, rainy night in the city of Budapest, Hungary and the tavern was rather full of patrons seeking shelter from the storm. A young woman around the age of 20 sat behind the bar reading a leather bound book and tending to her costumers. She stood 5'8" with long black hair, dark chestnut eyes, and tan skin. She had a perfect hourglass figure and a Transylvanian accent. She wore black riding clothes with a red jacket over her black, leather corset and ivory under shirt. A long sword was strapped to her belt and a revolver hung in its holster that was placed around her right leg. She looked around the tavern, seeing the same faces that she had for years. Montano from the mill, Carl from the library, and many more that were all too familiar.

When Maeniel and her were old enough their father ordered them to leave Valerious Manor that was located in the Transylvanian woods due to the fact that with the growing increase of Dracula's reign it was getting too dangerous for them to live there. _"Papa and mama built this place for Maeniel and I when I was 13…ever since Maeniel's death I haven't even left the city,"_ Justice thought to herself. Justice and Maeniel had built the tavern in front of the grand manor that was tucked away behind the tavern so that they could make a living after their parent's horrific deaths. _"Now I am the only one left…Princess Justice Valerious," _she looked around the tavern and sighed deeply, _"Oh how I wish someone new would walk into this place."_

Just then a huge man drenched from the storm walked inside the tavern, ducking so that he wouldn't hit the doorframe. The man went and sat down at the bar. The man seated two seats down from Justice was massive. He was 7'2" with a jet black mohawk that stood eight inches from his head completing his height at a clean eight feet. A wolf sat next to him with a natural coat of mixed browns, grays, and whites with very pale blue eyes. The man had shining silver eyes and was very muscular in stature, who wore nothing but what looked to be wolf hides. Justice looked at the man curiously, putting down her book and walked over to the stranger. He looked at her and she smiled in a friendly gesture. He smiled back. _"Odd that a wolf would be so well behaved near such strangers,"_ Justice thought to herself.

"What'll ya have?" she said in a rather friendly tone.

"Good evening ma'am, have you any vodkas?" he asked politely. The man had a Russian accent and a deep voice.

"No, just red wine and ale."

"The red wine will do nicely." The man seemed to be very polite for his somewhat intimidating appearance. She nodded and got him his drink. Justice soon returned with his red wine and she set it down in front of him.

"I take it that you're not from around here."

"No, I'm not. My travels and adventures bring my wandering soul to many a place."

"What type of adventures?" Justice asked inquisitively

"I'm a druid. I protect and serve nature and those who threaten its people are the reason I quest."

"I see. Well, how did you manage to make it here to Budapest?"

"Well, I got lost in that storm, it's one of the worst that I've seen in awhile. But my travels from Russia near my homeland of Severnaya have just been a wandering travel. I have no reason to stay in one place, so, I decided to go on a journey to wherever the wind takes me…and the wind has brought me here," he chuckled a little.

"It must be nice to do that…I haven't been outside of Budapest in what seems like forever."

"Why? What ties you to this land that you can never leave it?" he asked. She looked down to the floor then back at the man, clearing her throat.

"It is not safe for me to leave the security of the city…something or someone is hunting me and whoever or whatever it is seems almost desperate to finish off my family. The last time I was out of the city was with my brother, Maeniel, and we got chased by something…it killed him and I lived," she said her voice lowered. The man's eyes widened. He had thought that she was just a simple person, but apparently there was more than meets they eye to this young woman. Justice looked away from him.

"What is this…thing?" he asked while gritting his teeth. The man hated anything that killed for pleasure. To him life was more precious than that to be handled so lightly. Justice looked at him and then got the attention of the patrons. She yelled something in Hungarian that he did not understand and the regulars started to file out. Soon Justice, the man, and the wolf were left.

"That's just it…we don't know. My brother was one of the two people in my family to describe it a little bit before he died. He said that it stands of two legs and it's covered by some type of fur with wings…and a face straight from hell. That's what he described it as when I found him."

"Definitely not one of my brethren…you said it had wings?"

"Yes, that's what Maeniel said."

"And why haven't you tried to fight it?"

"My father tried, it killed him. My mother tried, it killed her…same with my brother. I am the last alive in my family and I would like to stay alive too. Besides, no one will help me fight."

"No one you say?"

"At least no one around here…they speak of the one called Dracula."

"I don't see why I couldn't help you. No one takes life without justification."

"I would appreciate your help Mr.…what is your name?"

"My clan name is Ka'ro Kuznetsov, but my given name is Scion…Scion Winterfang and I would be happy to assist your family," he looked to the large wolf and put his hand on the wolf's head.

"This is my brother, Phobos."

"Nice to meet you, I am Justice Valerious."

"Valerious? I have heard stories of the Valerious family before…brave souls they all are," he said looking at her. She extended her hand so that he might shake it. Scion grasped her hand and shook it. It felt so tiny in his hand, but it still had a fine grip.

"Do you need a place to stay for the night, Scion?"

"Does this monster you speak of run the forest around this city?"

"Yes."

"Then I shall except your generous offer and board here tonight. We usually have home in the forest, but I so not wish to meet this demon just yet. Justice, there is one thing I must show you before you except my assistance." He stood up, held out his hand, and gritted his teeth. His hand began to shift into a paw-like form and grow hair. The nails grew long and sharp, it was soon jet black in hair when he finished. She stepped back in shock.

"I am a druid of the lutana…we are werewolves."

"That doesn't matter to me in the least." He stood there in disbelief and let his hand morph back. Scion's eyes widened and the silver looked almost mesmerizing.

"Are you sure?!? It's very rare that I meet a human who doesn't care what I am."

"Yes, I'm sure. I need help and you have been kind enough to offer."

"Very well then, you're gained my trust. No one has been this kind to me in a long time."

"My brother left notes that he took from my father…apparently my father had heard of this creature and had been studying its whereabouts for sometime before he faced it and got himself killed. My brother continued to study and I have been looking at his notes."

"Oh? Was that what you were reading when I came in?"

"Yes. It's my brother's journal. It seems that there was another in my family who had encountered the creature long ago and my brother's description of it matches that of my other family member who saw it. To bad they are both dead, we could really use them now."

"From what you've described I haven't met such a beast…and I have knowledge beyond my years." Justice looked away from Scion and down to the floor.

"A twenty year old man killed in his prime," she said to herself. Justice tried not to cry, but a tear ran down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away, hoping that her guest wouldn't see. Scion sensed her despair.

"It will be alright, you have nothing to worry about. I'm here to protect you." She nodded, took a deep breath, and then looked up at him.

"I was 13 when my brother died…I found him lying in the front yard of this very manor…close to being lifeless, barely breathing…I watched him die." He looked down at her.

"I have seen many of my brethren die…brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and I know what you feel. It has never gotten any easier for me no matter how many I see lose their lives."

"I held him until he was gone and sometime after that…an hour or two…then I went inside and washed the blood from my clothes and hands…I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"It's alright, I'm here to listen," Scion said in a caring tone. He snapped his fingers and Phobos came to her side then laid down. Justice looked up at him and slightly smiled.

"He's as intelligent as you or I. Phobos in not a normal animal…he can understand human speech but not speak it. I can understand everything he tells me. Phobos is my closet friend."

"He's a beautiful wolf, awfully big too. Come, I shall show you your quarters." She came out from behind the bar and made her way up the stairs. Scion followed her. Justice smiled and turned around to face Scion.

"Would you like a tour of my house? It's behind the tavern."

"I would like that very much."

"Alright, but first your quarters." She continued up the stairs. When they finally reached his room Justice opened the door to reveal a bed big enough for Scion.

"It should be enough space for the two of you in here."

"You are most thoughtful. Phobos never sleeps on the ground unless I am there with him. He's always as equal as I."

"Well, this is your quarters. Allow me to lock up down stairs and then we can go to my house." She smiled.

"As you wish," said Scion. Justice went down stairs and Scion followed her along with Phobos. Justice locked up and then turned to face him.

"Follow me," she said while walking past him and going through the kitchen to a back door. Justice walked outside and waited for Scion to catch up. When he got outside he was astounded by the grand manor. It had a Victorian feel to it and he noticed that there was a crucifix on top of the manor. There was also a stable containing two horses built on the side of the house.

"To keep the devil away," she said as loud as she could so that he might hear her through the rain. Scion nodded and then followed Justice to the front door. She unlocked it, stepped inside, and turned on the lights. Once the three were inside she shut the door. Scion immediately noticed two large doors that were painted green and he wondered where they led.

"Very nice, Justice. Very impressive," he said with a smile. Justice noticed that Scion kept looking over to the painted doors.

"The armory. Would you like to see?" she asked and then went over to the doors.

"Of course," he said and then looked down at Phobos who also nodded. She opened the doors to reveal weapons of all sorts. Inside there were swords, sabers, pistols, daggers, suits of armor, maces, spears, and etc. Some were of very unique origin and Scion spotted some that he had never seen before.

"Very impressive," he said looking at her and walking in, "armors and all…how long have you had this collection?" Justice ignored his question and walked inside. She kept walking until she reached a wooden table hidden in the back of the large room. Scion and Phobos followed her. She stopped and picked up a sword that was wrapped in a red velvet cloth.

"This is Maeniel's sword. He made it when he was only thirteen." She took it out of its sheath and showed it to him. "He picked out the jewels on the hilt which are red blood stone with onyx and he crafted the blade which is laced with silver…a beautiful piece of work."

"Indeed."

"I'm going to use it to kill Count Dracula…when I manage to find him…the Valerious family has been looking for the Count for centuries and have never succeeded in that quest," she said and looked over at Scion. He shuddered at the mention of Count Dracula.

"My kind doesn't like him in the least bit."

"Dracula has hunted my family for centuries…killing all of them except for me…I was the only one to escape the creatures that he controls."

"For the love of God!!! What right does that monster have!?!," he began to sake with anger and Justice noticed that his eyes began to change color.

"Better keep your transformations under control…if Dracula should find out that you're here he'll come after you," she said worried.

"Let him come! He dare not show his face around me! I will make him pay for what he has done to your family and my kind…a ruthless killer is all he is…a damned monster!" he roared and nearly flipped over one of the tables.

"So, you know of his collection then?"

"What collection? All I knew was that he killed for pleasure…that he finds it to be a game of some sorts."

"It's said that Dracula keeps a collection of werewolves locked in a cage and once he has fed them, given them water, gained their trust he puts them under a spell that makes them his for all time without end."

"NO!!! I don't believe that!!! My kind would never fall that easily," He just couldn't believe it, but he knew that his new friend wasn't lying. He was going to pass it as myth until he saw it with his own eyes.

"He controls their transformation after their first full moon under his spell…he orders them to kill whoever he please…they are his slaves…"

"Please, no more!!! No one can do that to us…we are proud and noble creatures…we DO NOT kill for fun or pleasure and we never hunt humans for that matter." He was angry at the mere thought of it being true and he suppressed the feeling of wanting to run right out of the armory. Scion tried to keep calm, blocking the thoughts from his mind.

"Very well," she said noticing that it was distressing to her new friend and she changed the subject.

"I leave for my family's manor in Transylvania in the morning just after sun up…I'm going to see if any of my father's notes lead to clues of where to find the Count."

"Where is the manor and how long will it take us to get there?"

"From Budapest it will take three weeks and that's without stopping. Why do you ask?"

"Hmmm, just curious. Are you sure that it will take three weeks??"

"Yes. I would like some company on this trip…you may come if you like."

"I would like that very much, Justice." He was hoping that she would ask. Scion enjoyed being a guardian to those who needed it. Justice nodded.

"We leave tomorrow…and hopefully we won't run into any trouble."

"Well, trouble or not, you won't be in any harm…you have my word." She simply answered by smiling. She took Maeniel's sword and strapped it to the right side of her belt; she then picked up two pistols and holstered them. Justice took a switchblade and tucked it inside a holster on her left boot. She could tell that Scion was rather impressed by this display of courage.

"I see that you can handle yourself quite skillfully," he chuckled. She picked up a dagger and strapped it to the outside of her right boot.

"I've been trained to since I was old enough to hold a sword. My father insisted that I was taught early, even though my mother objected to it…she didn't want me to become like my father…always thriving for a good fight."

"Sounds like a mother's instinct to me. Well, trust me, I use very little weaponry but we as druids/werewolves train vigorously."

"She died also at the hand of one of Dracula's creatures," she said looking up at Scion, "Sorry, it seems that my life has been full of the loss of loved ones."

"Loss is something we all experience, some more than others. But I live on the fact of knowing that I am still alive to protect the ones I love…I bleed for those I love so that they never have to bleed for me."

"As do I," she said looking away from him and out the large window.


	3. Chapter 2

In the icy castle of frozen death lay a man in a coffin of stone. The man was covered in a block of ice and the stone surrounded it. Bats of unnatural size flew around the coffin and landed, waiting for their master to awaken. A cracking sound boomed in the large room and the ice began to chip away until only the man was left. He seemed to be lifted by a supernatural force as he rose from the coffin. This was Count Dracula. Although the Count had stunning blue eyes, long black hair, and a rather charming smile, his cadaverous features made him rather frightening. He looked at the biggest bat, which transformed into a beautiful woman, she was his only bride left. Dracula smirked and stepped down from the coffin.

"My darling, my darling. How nice of you to drop by and see me once again," the Count said in a cooing manner.

"Anything for you my master." Suddenly Dracula let out a hissing sound of anger and his eyes began to glow red. His bride stepped back in fear.

"Did I not stress to you how important it was to be finished with Justice Valerious?!?!" he hollered.

"Master, there is a stranger guarding her and the sun has shone brightly today," the bride pleaded with him. He looked at her and held out his wrist. She slowly, cautiously came over to him and began to suck the blood from his wrist.

"There, there Mariskay…we will kill her and that stranger, no matter what it takes."

--------

She turned around to look at Scion and studied him for a moment. He was very handsome, for a werewolf. "_What are you talking about girl?"_ she thought to herself. He was a werewolf and the two of them could never be in love. _Besides, I don't have time for love right now…my mission is to hunt down and kill Dracula…but still he is…_ she pushed the thought out of her mind. Justice cleared her throat and then started walking over to the pistols. She took one that fit in the palm of her hand and strapped it to a holster hidden in her boot. Scion smiled and laughed.

"What's so funny?" she asked in a serious tone.

"Nothing, it's just that you remind me of one of my kind, we always are willing to lay down our lives for others…if you don't mind me asking, why don't you just leave this place and go back home?"

_Home is where you family is…in that case my home is in heaven, _she thought to herself. Justice wished that it were that simple. That if she left and went back to Valerious Manor in Transylvania that her problems would disappear.

"Dracula controls all the land here in Hungary and Romania…both places are my home and besides, I will not leave my people to just watch them die."

Scion nodded and looked her over then chuckled. He sensed that this woman would've been a queen in his clan back in Russia. Justice had the will and the grace that was hard to find in most people nowadays.

"Well, like I said I would be honored to assist you're family."

"I'll be in the stables if you need me," she said ignoring his statement and with that she began walking out of the room. Scion looked down at Phobos and gave him a command in Russian. The wolf silently followed Justice out to the stables. As for Scion, today had been a tiring day and he went to his quarters to sleep.

The next morning Scion woke up to the smell of steak and the sound of Phobos whining. He woke up, still groggy from his deep sleep, and went down stairs. His senses were engulfed by the intoxicating smell of raw meat being cooked. He sat down at the bar and gave an enormous yawn. Justice smiled when she saw him. She walked over to him with a glass of vodka and then handed it to him. Scion was surprised to see that she had managed to get some somehow.

"Where, where did you get this?" he asked curiously.

"The vodka use to be my brother's…I found it down in the cellar of my house and I thought that you might like a drink."

"This is very kind of you, Justice," he smelled the air and his mouth began to water. She looked at him for a while and then went back into the kitchen. Justice soon appeared with a plate full of steak for Scion and Phobos.

"This is very kind indeed," he said with a big grin on his face. She smiled.

"Well, you're welcome. I will be back in the stables packing the horses if you need me…oh, and please don't have Phobos follow me again."

"How did you know that I had him follow you?"

"I could hear him," she said as she was walking towards the back door. Scion smirked and then looked down at Phobos who just whined and then begged for a piece of steak.

"This woman manages to amaze me more and more each time we talk."

After breakfast Scion joined her in the stables. He looked at the two fine horses that stood before him. One was an all white horse and the other was all black. He saw Justice finishing packing up a saddlebag that was to go on one of the horses. It was filled with pistols, daggers, and a short sword rested on the outside of the bag. He walked over to her and she looked up at him. She situated the bag on the black horse.

"These are the horses we shall be riding. The white one is yours, his name is Galafrim and the black one is mine…her name is Selene."

"How long have you had these magnificent animals?"

"Galafrim use to be Maeniel's…he was one of the hardest horses for my brother to tame. As for Selene I've only had her for about ten years…got her as a present for my tenth birthday." He saw her smile and then she put her hand on Selene's muzzle. Justice strapped the bag to Selene then mounted her. Scion looked up at her and she looked regal in his eyes.

"What?" she asked in a curious tone as she noticed that he was looking at her.

"Nothing. Let's see if I can't mount Galafrim, huh?"

"Good luck," Justice said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Galafrim had been the worst horse to break and now that he hadn't been ridden in years he was going to be worse. Scion amazingly managed to mount him with great ease and it was Justice's turn to be impressed. She looked at him, smiled, and then yelled something in Hungarian that he did not understand.

"Wait I thought that we were leaving later on!" he called out to her, she was already far ahead of him. She turned Selene around and the horse ran back over to him. She stopped Selene beside Scion.

"He understands every language…all you have to do is tell him to run and he'll run…I know it seems too simple, but it's how my brother trained him." Scion nodded and then said run in Russian. The horse ran forward faster than Scion had expected, he looked back at her.

"Try to keep up!" he challenged. She laughed and then her and Selene took off.

Justice surpassed him and he looked surprised. _No, you try to keep up, _she thought to herself.


	4. Chapter 3

Later That Evening

Mariskay flew over the two without them noticing and continued to for about an hour before heading back to her master's icy fortress. _My master will be pleased to know that she is coming back to Transylvania…the attack must be planned…yes, yes, it must be planned. _Dracula's chilling laugh sent shivers down his servant's spine.

"Very well done, my darling Mariskay! Dwergi, bring the creature to me…we must get him ready for the arrival of our guests."

"Master, you plan to use him for the attack?"

"Why not," the Count asked somewhat annoyed, "He is under my spell and he is mine to control, besides if it goes as planned, it should defeat the Princess for good."

"Very smart, very smart, Master," Mariskay said walking over to Dracula.

"Now go! All of you! We must be prepared for our guests."

-------

Scion kept glancing over at Justice for the first two hours of their journey to Transylvania. Justice tried to ignore the fact that every ten minutes or so Scion would look over at her. She finally couldn't take it anymore and the next time Scion looked over to her she matched his eyes, returning his stare. He smirked and blushed slightly.

"What is it, Scion?"

"Forgive me for staring, but I was just recalling what I have heard about the Valerious family…and if memory serves me right wasn't your father, Velkan, killed by the monster hunter Van Helsing?"

"Yes, that is true…he was killed back in 1888."

"Then how is it that the Valerious family survived?" Justice looked ahead of them for a while before speaking and then she looked over at Scion.

"My mother and father met back when they were young children and they fell in love at the age of thirteen. Mother had Maeniel when she was only fourteen and at the time my father was fifteen," she cleared her throat, "Two years later my parents married and seven years later they had me. I was born in August of 1887. In the fall of the following year my father supposedly died on a hunt, but it turned out that he had been bitten by the creature."

"The same creature that hunts you now?"

"I do not know. Mama never told Maeniel and I what creature he had been turned into."

"I see. Then your aunt was his sister, Anna?"

"Correct, if you have heard the story of Van Helsing then you know what happened," she said. He nodded.

"So, your father died when you were no more than a year old and Anna died not too long after that," he said more to himself than to her. Justice nodded, hoping that Scion would stop asking her about the painful events of her past, but the inquisitive werewolf continued.

"But, you said that your father was killed by Dracula."

"After Velkan's death my mother remarried, but she couldn't bear to lose my father completely so she kept his last name. Her new husband agreed to take on the Valerious name as well."

"Interesting."

"His name became Eli Darkblade Valerious and the vow that my ancestors made centuries before was passed down to him."

"Your stepfather is well known where I come from. As I said before, I have heard great stories of the Valerious family. It is said that for a while he managed to keep the town of Vaseria safe from any evil."

"Yes, Vaseria is a town in Transylvania and our family manor is just outside of it. My stepfather was a very brave warrior."

"How is it that you know so much about your original father, Justice?"

"Mama told stories about him all the time when Maeneil and I were younger. She told us about the mischief he got into when he was a boy and then about the brave deeds he did when he got older…Maeniel looked almost exactly like Velkan."

"And you look like your mother, I presume?"

"Mama always said that I looked more like Anna with a hint of my father and her in me."

"What of your stepfather? What did you inherit from him?"

"I inherited his strong will and his skills in battle…and he could see that I had that in me when I was growing up."

"And that's why he started your training early," Scion said to himself finally understanding what she meant back in the armory. She slightly smiled and looked back at Scion. They were silent for some time before Scion spoke.

"Van Helsing killed Dracula if I remember correctly and yet you say that he is still alive."

"Van Helsing did kill Dracula," she said looking ahead once more. Out the corner of her eye she could see Scion's confused look.

"Another vampire came into power only three years after Dracula's demise. He proclaimed himself the new Count Dracula and soon he surpassed the power of his predecessor. The new vampire plagued Transylvania and soon his reign grew to all of Romania." Scion looked at her aghast. He couldn't imagine another vampire having more power that the original Count.

"What his real name is, no one knows," Justice continued, "But the fact that he has power beyond that of the original vampire is enough information for the people of Hungary and Romania."

"When did your stepfather die?" he asked curiously.

"He disappeared when I was twelve, just before Maeniel died."

"And your mother? When did she…"

"Only a month after my brother," she said. _Tragedy after tragedy, _she thought to herself thinking of the all the loss she had experienced at such a young age. Scion quietly comprehended what he had just heard. His heart truly ached for Justice.

Four days later they reached Valerious Manor. The manor was certainly bigger than the one back in Budapest, but it was older and more worn. Clearly no one had been here for some time. Justice dismounted and began walking up the pathway to the front door. She suddenly stopped, looking down at the ground. Yes, this was where Maeniel died. _"This is where he died…in my arms…to save my life…he gave his life for me,"_ she thought to herself. Scion followed after her and noticed the thoughtful gaze she had placed in the ground. Justice snapped out of her daze, shaking her head and coming back to reality.

"Let's go." Scion nodded and placed a hand on the hilt of his blade, ready for anything. They walked up to the door, both of them not sure what they would find. She opened the door and unholstered one of her pistols. Justice stepped inside and turned on the lights. The inside was regal, but cobwebs crowded the corners of the ceiling and slightly covered the furniture. She looked around the manor; memories of her past flooded her mind. Justice shut the door behind the two of them while Phobos stayed outside on guard.

"Upstairs is where my father's chamber is. He did most of his research up there. You check upstairs and I'll join you in a moment. My father's room is last one on the right." He nodded and made his way up the stairs. There were two red doors on Justice's left, she walked over to them and tried to open them. The doors moved only a small way. She moved back and with all her might kicked the doors open. They opened to reveal the Valerious family armory, which was bigger than the one Justice had in her house. After grabbing a few more weapons, she joined Scion upstairs.

"Here, take this," she said handing him a finely crafted saber, "Now, what have you found?"

"Not sure, come take a look for yourself." Justice shuffled through some papers and found an old map. She looked at it closer seeing that it had a faded road on it.

"A map?" Scion asked curiously.

"Yes, it shows how to get from here to…but, no, this can't be correct."

"What?"

"This castle has been deserted for years," she said handing him the map. Scion took it and noticed that there was writing under the castle that was covered by dust. He blew the dust off and then he saw something that would help him. Justice had moved over to her father's bookcase looking for his journal.

"Justice, I think that I found something." She walked over to him and looked down at the map. Her eyes lit up when she saw what Scion had discovered.

"Castle Dracula…"

"And the way to get there," Scion said completing her sentence. She nodded, took the map, folded it, and then put it into a leather pouch that was strapped onto her belt. They looked at each other, knowing what the other was thinking. The two of them walked out of the room and back down to their horses. They mounted and were off.


	5. Chapter 4

Two Weeks Later

The first two weeks of travel went smooth, no trouble seemed apparent to Justice but she still didn't give herself permission to let down her guard. Scion yawned and she looked up at the sky. _The stars look beautiful tonight_, she thought to herself. _I haven't stopped to look at them since I was a young child._ Scion saw her looking up at the sky admiringly and he joined her in gazing at the stars. She suddenly snapped out of her daydream and looked over at Scion. He returned her gaze.

"We should make camp here tonight."

"Yes, it is getting rather late and Phobos has told me that he will keep guard tonight."

"Alright." Justice stopped Selene and dismounted. Soon they had a fire going and food was being prepared over the open flames. After they ate Scion looked at her for a long while. Yes, he was certain that she would've been a queen in his clan. She looked at him.

"What?"

"Justice, I must ask…when you're father left to go find Dracula where was he headed off to?"

"He was headed towards the sea," she said in a mystified tone, "I've never been to the sea…I bet it's beautiful."

"If you came with me I could show you the far reaches of the world." Scion suddenly caught himself from saying anymore and he could feel his cheeks turning bright red. Justice just ignored the statement which made him much more comfortable.

"You should get some sleep, Justice. Don't worry, Phobos is a good protector."

"Alright…good night." She was soon fast asleep and having the same dream that she had every night since her brother died.

_She stomped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms stubbornly._

_"But mama, I can go…I'm old enough and I'm one of the best swordswomen here," Justice said in a rather childish tone. Her mother just looked at Justice and shook her head. It wasn't fair, Maeniel was only seven years older than her and he was going on the hunt. _

_"Even papa says that I'm one of the best around. Mama, can I please go?" she asked again._

_"No, you may not go Justice…you are too young," her mother said._

_"But Maeniel is going and he's only a little older than I."_

_"But I am older," her brother chimed in._

_"Justice when you're fifteen you can go, but you're only twelve and I will not lose my daughter."_

I understand why she's worried, _Justice thought, _but even Papa said that I was good enough. _Justice had never disobeyed her mother or father before, but she felt that she was more use to them out there than stuck in the house waiting for news on whether her father and brother had lived or died. _Dracula and his creatures have tried to destroy my family for centuries and now that I have a chance to stop that, they won't let me go, _she thought to herself. And her beloved brother was most likely going out to his death and Justice hated the fact that if something did happen to him she wasn't there to try and stop it. Frustrated, she walked out of the room and Maeniel followed her._

_"Justice, hold on a moment please." He managed to grab her arm and stop her from going up the stairs to her room._

_"Leave me alone, Maeniel."_

_"Justice, mama and papa are just worried about you…they have every right to be," he said turning her around so that he could see her face._

_"It's not fair, Maeniel…you're going out there to your death most likely and I won't be there to try and stop it if something should go wrong," she said fighting back tears. He hugged her and then looked at her. He smirked, then chuckled, and then got serious again._

_"Justice, now you won't listen to mama or papa, but will you listen to me? Please, stay here tonight…nothing is going to happen to me, I promise._

_"Well, I'm not going to promise anything," she said stubbornly. He sighed deeply and she could tell that he was getting agitated._

_"Stay here tonight, Justice…I mean it." Maeniel then let go of her arm and she ran upstairs to her room. She slammed the door shut just to let everyone know that she disapproved of their orders. _

_Justice waited until she heard her mother's bedroom door close before she got up and started moving around. Justice chose to wear her black riding clothes so that she would blend in with the night. After dressing Justice made her way downstairs to the family armory._

I'll need a short sword and a saber, not one of those training swords that we practice with…I'll be dead before I let them see me with a training swords out of the battlefield, _she thought to herself. She picked the best short sword and saber that she knew of. Although they were quite heavy and long she took them anyways…her pride wouldn't allow her to take anything else. She grabbed a lantern off the wall and went over to the window. She swung her legs out and then jumped down with the lantern in hand._

"_Sorry, Maeniel, but I did say that I wouldn't make any promises_," _she said under her breath and she began walking into the woods. Justice looked up and saw that it was the harvest moon. _Funny, I remember when that use to be a sign of happiness and not fear. _She heard something move in the darkness and she tried to draw her sword, but it got stuck in the mud. _Damn my pride! _She thought to herself. Justice slowly turned around and she came face to face with the creature. Its face was like that of a wolf and bat mixed together and the only thing human about it was its eyes. It stood at least ten feet tall and it had short black fur all over its body. She jiggled the sword in its sheath but it wouldn't move. The creature roared and she ran for her life._

_Something hit her in the back of her head and next thing she knew she was laying in an open field near the edge of the Transylvanian Plateau. She got up and started running again. _Papa, Maeniel, somebody…help me,_ she thought. The creature jumped down in front of her and it used the back of its gigantic claw to send her flying through the air. She hit the ground hard and then there was nothing but darkness._

_She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but when she awoke Justice realized that she was being dragged by her foot across the forest ground. She looked up to see the back of the creature. Justice reached for one of her daggers, but it had fallen out of its sheath. She looked around for something that she could grab onto and try to pull herself. The she heard his voice…she heard him calling for her._ Maeniel, thank God. _She began to struggle in the creatures grasp and it turned around to look at her. A gun fired and the creature fell backwards dead. She got up and saw her brother running towards her. _

_Suddenly she was at the age she was now and her brother was the creature lying on the ground dead, the pistol that shot him in her hand. _

"NO!" she said as she awoke from the dream. Scion and Phobos looked over at her. She got up and started pacing around the fire before finally just walking into the woods. Scion followed her.

"Justice! Justice, hold on a moment please," Scion said. She turned to look at him, hearing the same words that her brother had said to her on the night of her first unofficial hunt. She stopped in her tracks and then leaned up against a tree. Scion finally came over to her and joined her in leaning up against the tall tree.

"What's the matter?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Nothing…it was nothing…just a bad dream."

"Come on, let's go back to slee…"

"No, I've slept long enough…let's be on our way again," she said and started heading back towards the campsite. Scion just watched her walk for a while and then sighed. He knew something was bothering her and he wanted to know just what it was.

Justice was rather quiet for the first half hour as they rode to her family's manor. She was thinking about her family's legacy and how if she died it would be the end of the Valerious family. _I cannot fail,_ she thought to herself. Justice looked over at Scion and at Phobos who was trailing along side Scion. She cleared her throat.

"When I was younger my father and brother went on a hunt for a creature that was released by Dracula…I was told, actually ordered to stay at the manor, but I snuck out after everyone was asleep to join my brother and father on the hunt. All I ended up finding was the creature and I nearly died that night, but Maeniel came to my rescue. I was only twelve and he was nineteen…a year before he died…"

"You had much courage for a young lady…that's very inspiring," he said looking over at her. She managed to smile.

"It was the first time that I had ever seen my brother cry…the creature had knocked me out and when I awoke I was being dragged to it's lair. After my brother killed the beast her just hugged me and broke down crying…thanking God that I was okay."

"That's very brave of both you and him," Scion said with a smile. Justice looked ahead and then back at Scion.

"I had taken a sword that was too heavy and too long, but my pride wouldn't allow me to take a training sword…which I should've taken for when I tried to fight the beast my sword got stuck in the mud." Scion couldn't help but chuckled a little as he tried to hold a straight face, but didn't succeed.

"I could picture that in my head…such innocence, and yet so much determination."

"Yes, I wanted to go out and prove to my family that I could fight…"

He burst out laughing as she joined him. A smile crossed her lips as she remembered the proud look her father gave her when he found out what she had done, although, it didn't stop her from getting in trouble. She looked ahead once more.

"My father wasn't mad at me, surprisingly…instead her was proud."

"I would have been too." She looked over to him, surprised to hear him say that. In a way, he was a lot like her father, brother, and herself. She saw bits and pieces of her brother in his eyes.

"Tell me, Scion, do you have any family?"

"My druid grove has many members, all whom which love each other, but nothing like what you would call a blood family."

"I meant a family of your own."

"As I said, I have nothing of what you would call a blood family. I have no children, but I will someday…when I meet someone right…" She nodded and then was silent for a moment. Justice suddenly started laughing.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Maeniel use to tease me about finding a suitor that could handle my lust for advancement and adventure," she said and then laughed. Scion joined her.

"I don't see what's wrong with that," he said looking at her. She smiled at him.

"Neither do I…my father was like that and I have most of his traits…his lust for advancement and adventure is in my blood."

"I lust for it too, it drives me sometimes, but maybe that's just my werewolf side speaking." Selene suddenly stopped in her tracks and seemed frightened to go another step.

"What's the matter, Selene?" Justice asked in a sweet tone. The horse stomped her hoof and Justice drew her sword.

"That's not a good sign," she said looking at Scion with a worried expression.

"Should I turn or just draw my weapon, m'lady?"

"Just draw your weapon, it might be a raccoon for all we know."

"Aye, true."

Justice dismounted and took the lantern from her saddle, sword in hand. She stepped out in front of Selene and looked around.

"Hello? Who's there?" she called out into the darkness, but there was no answer. Suddenly she heard a low growling coming from the trees above. Justice looked up to see the same creature that had killed her brother seven years ago looking down at her.

"Justice, move!!! Get out of there!!!" Scion called to her but she was unable to move. The creature had her under some type of magic spell. Justice looked over to Scion and his face was full of worry.

"I can't move…I'm under some type of spell…Scion, go!!! Get out of here!!! Stop Dracula!!" she called to him. Justice knew that her friend wouldn't listen, but it was worth a try.

"And leave you here?!? NO way in hell!!!" He drew his pistol and shot at the creature. Justice was released from the spell and thrown to the ground, her sword falling from her grasp. She got up and ran over to her saddlebag where she got out Maeniel's sword. She couldn't believe that Scion had stayed. Justice ducked so that the creature's enormous claw would grab her. Scion dodged out of the way as well. Phobos was bearing his teeth and growling …he did NOT like this thing, whatever it was.

Justice looked at Scion and with pure determination in her eyes she went running for the massive beast, sword in hand. The blow of the creature's claw sent her soaring up against a tree and she fell to the ground, struggling to hold onto consciousness.

" Justice!!!" Scion cried out. The sight of her near lifeless body angered him to no end, he couldn't help it, and the emotion was too much for him. She shook her head and her vision became clear once more. Justice got up and pulled out one of her silver daggers. The large creature jumped in front of her. Scion ran towards it, trying to the creature away from her. The throbbing pain of more than one rib made it hard for her to stand up, but she managed to somehow. She aimed the dagger and then threw it at the beast. It slammed into it's chest and sent it backwards. She got out one of her pistols and started to walk over to the convulsing creature. It began to morph back into it's human form. _NO!!! It cannot be!!! _Her mind screamed. There, lying on the ground only a few feet away from her was Maeniel.

"Stay away from it, Justice, it might try to kill you!" he said coming up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder. Justice holstered the pistol and pulled away from Scion, running towards her brother.

"That's my brother, I must go to him!" she said. Scion ran up behind Justice and grabbed her arm stopping her. She turned around to look at him.

"It could be an illusion…how easy is it? Look at him…does he look any older to you?" Scion argued.

"It could have prolonged his life, kept him young," she argued back.

"But you have no guarantees…how do you know it's not trying to kill you by pulling you in? How do you know? You've never encountered something like this befor--"

"That's my brother…he knows me…he wouldn't try to hurt me…not intentionally," she said in a firm tone.

"I don't trust it…he just tried to kill you for God's sake!" What he was saying was logical, but something in her told her that Maeniel was still in there somewhere.

"Scion, trust me…please." He looked at her, his face hard and stony then it softened. For a moment Justice wasn't the woman he had met, she looked like a little girl who had just been heart broken. He sighed.

"Very well, but I'm going with you…I'll be damned if that thing is going to kill you," he said his blade still ready to strike. She nodded in agreement and went over to her brother who was struggling to get up. When she got there she knelt beside him.

"Maeniel? It's me, Justice," she said in a soft and caring tone. Scion ran up next to her, making sure that that…monster…didn't try to do anything to her. For a moment the man's eyes held no recognition in them. _He doesn't know me anymore,_ she thought to herself. She swallowed hard, fighting back tears.

"Maeniel, you must remember…you have to," she said looking into his eyes this time. She noticed that the curse was starting to lift from him and he suddenly went cold. He returned her gaze and then smirked.

"Justice, you must…you must forgive me," he said struggling to control the convulsions. Suddenly, he tried to morph back into the monster that she had just seen, convulsing with each and every try. _God, forgive me,_ she prayed. Justice stood up, drew her pistol, looked away from her brother, and fired…shooting her brother with a silver bullet in the heart.

"I shall see you again…my brother," she whispered choking on the words as she said them.

"Justice, I'm so…" he looked at her unable to finish the sentence. Scion had never had to end the life of someone he loved and could never bring himself to do it if needed. Justice didn't look at Scion, she just turned around and started to walk off with tears running down her cheeks. Justice closed her eyes for a moment, hoping and praying that what had just happened was another dream, that when she opened her eyes her brother would be there holding her. It didn't happen.

Phobos whined as she walked by. Even the large wolf understood that what had just happened was heartbreaking. Scion watched her walk off, realizing that there was nothing her could do. He didn't try to stop her.


	6. Chapter 5

Justice suddenly felt the terrible aching on the right side of her rib cage and it became harder to breathe. She stopped walking, slumping against a tree. Once more she was struggling to hold onto consciousness. She was hurt more that she had let on. Scion noticed the sudden jolt of pain that she felt and ran to her side. He propped her up and held her. Justice looked up at him, fighting the darkness that threatened to consume her. _I must fight…I must stop Dracula,_ she thought to herself, coming up with a reason to not slip into the abyss of night. He laid her on the ground and as he did so he pressed his hand against the wound closing his eyes. Scion concentrated and Phobos laid his head on Justice's leg. Justice was struggling for breath now. Memories then came and faded away quickly. She heard her brother's laugh and saw his smile, but they were just illusions.

"Scion, what are you doing?" she asked weakly.

"Shhh…quiet now…just relax," he said in a caring tone. He closed his eyes again and gritted his teeth. He started to chat words she had never heard before and Phobos began to howl. The wound began to sting and her muscles tightened. He kept his hand on the wound even thought he knew that it hurt her.

Suddenly, the wound began to feel better. Instead of burning it felt icy cool and soothing. Scion began to shed tears, but they weren't of sadness. They had a frosty feel to them, as if magical in origin. Justice opened her eyes and looked up at him, seeing him cry. Justice decided not to say anything, realizing that it was part of the healing process. Scion took his hand away from the wound and shed tears on it. The wound magically healed.

"It's all I can do for you right now," he said in a comforting tone.

"It feels better than it did," she said holding out her hand and he helped her up. Justice brushed the leaves and most of the dirt off of her clothes before walking over to her horse. She mounted Selene and waited for him to mount Galafrim. He wanted to hold her- she could tell by the look in his eyes- but she could also tell that he wasn't sure how she would react to that, so, he didn't.

"Heh, I'm glad that she's alright, Phobos…let's go." He mounted Galafrim and rode up next to her. She smiled at him as she watched him mount Galafrim. He kept the stony face that he always had, but she knew that he accepted the kind gesture.

"Come, let us go…if we can make it to Castle Dracula before sunrise in three days we can stop him, for that is the night of the Harvest moon and he is much more powerful after the moon rises."

Scion nodded and they were off. As they rode he noticed that she kept her left hand close to her ribs on the right side of her body. It was obvious that they still hurt her, just not as bad as before he healed the wound. She had been looking ahead of them for a while and then she decided to look over at him. He returned her stare. His eyes then shifted to where she had her hand.

"They're healed, but sore. Trust me, Justice, they'll get better."

"Thank you for doing what you did back there…I, uh, haven't had help like that in a long while and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it," she said in a sincere tone.

"You needn't give me thanks. I help whoever needs it, but you are most welcome…I enjoy helping you," he said rather sheepishly. Justice reflected on what someone had said to her when she was younger.

"One villager told me one time that I did not and would never need help because I am a Valerious…because I was strong enough to do everything on my own."

"No one is ever strong enough to do things on their own all the time…I need help sometimes and look at me…I look like I could take on the world," he chuckled.

"At one point I had even convinced myself that it was true, that was right after I thought he was…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence and she knew that Scion knew who she was speaking of.

"And look where it got you. Determination and self sufficiency is good, but reliance will save your life."

"Yes, you are right about that."

"Never turn down help from another, Justice. Companionship is the on thing that will drive you and help preserve you…it's also the spark that starts love," he said looking deep into her eyes.

The Count let out a chilling scream of anger and frustration. The creature was suppose to kill Justice…not ask for forgiveness or be killed by her for that matter. _I should've used one of my more skilled and obedient werewolves for this job, _he thought to himself. Mariskay went over to her master and started stroking the back of neck. He turned around and hissed at her, she backed away in fear and began to sob.

"How could this happen?!? He had been under my spell for seven years and one of the skilled ones…how could he have been defeated?!?"

"It is not so bad my master…in a way your plan has succeeded." Dracula looked at her curiously, not sure of what she was talking about and then it hit him.

"Of course! By her having to kill him the guilt in her heart is slowly but surely killing her inside."

"Yes, that is correct, my master," Mariskay said and slowly began to approach the Count once more. He looked at her sternly and then his look turned soft for a moment.

"Do not fear me, Mariskay…everybody else fears me…not my beloved bride, come to me," he said reaching out his hand to her. She took his hand he looked up at the on looking Dwergi.

"Leave! All of you!! The two of them will be here in just two days and we must get ready for them," he said and then the Count began to laugh manically. His evil laughter radiated throughout the stone room.

Justice looked at Scion and saw something in his eyes that she had never even thought about until she was a young child…the future. A future without…dare she say it…fear. A future with love, happiness, and no more death surrounding her. _I thought that I had given up such a dream when I was younger,_ she found herself thinking. Justice cleared her throat and looked at him for a long while before speaking.

"You know, you remind me a lot of my father…he was like you in a lot of ways…always willing to help someone who needed it…my brother was like that too."

"It's only natural to help those in need…those who don't are truly bad people. But I do understand how you feel…I'd do anything for you Justice." Justice smiled slightly, not really sure how to take what she had just heard. She looked away from him. It thundered and then rain began to pour down from the night sky. Justice shook her head in disbelief.

"Wonderful. Just what we need."

"Of course, rain is good for you!" he said and then laughed heartily.

"I use to love the rain when I was younger. I use to train in it on the balance beam fighting my teacher…it helped you with speed and getting better balance."

"It's very soothing…I love to be out in it," he looked at her. Justice smiled, stopped Selene, and dismounted. He looked at her quizzically.

"I haven't walked in the rain in a while." She grabbed Selene's reigns and began walking. He smiled and did the same.

"I think I shall join you." Justice looked down to the ground as she walked and after a while of doing that she looked back at Scion.

"I never thought of you as a person who liked the rain," she said thinking aloud.

"I'm a druid, we are accustom to the rain," he said smirking. Realizing that she had said that aloud she blushed and then looked away from him feeling rather foolish.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

"It's quite all right."

"Castle Dracula shouldn't be to far from where we are now, we just might make it there before sunrise tomorrow," she said changing the subject.

"Sounds like a plan, m'lady."

"Would you ever consider settling down with a mortal?" she asked out of the blue. He looked at for a moment, somewhat shocked by her question.

"Well, I heard that in legend a werewolf can only fall in love with his own kind and I was just curious if that was true."

"Legends are just that. We have no restraints on who we love and even if the legend was true, I would turn the mortal into one of us."

"All right," she said and kept walking, quickening her pace she asked, "Would you ever consider settling down with someone like me? Just curious." It was true, Justice was curious about the ways of the Lutana.

"If I did, I would have to turn you for I could not stand to lose one such as yourself. We would live forever. Our kind isn't evil as the legends say. We could sit down and have a civilized conversation with a mortal if they permitted. We just get a bad name because of how ferocious we can become when threatened …we are good hearted and noble creatures by nature."

"I know you are," she said with sincerity in her voice. He laughed.

"There are a lot of things about my culture that you don't know though and none of it would scare you. We live in seclusion because we are persecuted."

"I don't blame you. I would live in seclusion if I were being hunted all the time. Come to think of it, I have always been hunted in a way."

"Justice, we are hunted by those who don't know the meaning of life, who don't know just how precious life really is…they are no more than lost souls."

"Dracula doesn't have a soul, but I believe that the creatures he uses to do his bidding do…men turned into that which they feared and hunted so passionately, but still men at heart…just like my brother," she said looking down to the ground. He nodded and looked at her compassionately. He was surprised that she could still talk about him so lovingly after he had tried to kill her.

"I agree. How much longer until we get there? A few hours, perhaps? If so, I would like to shift and maybe sleep a little while."

"We should be there in about ten hours or so…just enough time until the sun rises, but I suppose that we could stop and rest." Scion nodded. They stopped walking and then they tied their horses to a tree. Justice stretched and yawned, tired from their long journey. He looked over at her.

"I'll be right back," he said while walking into the forest. He walked into the forest just far enough so that Justice couldn't see him. Phobos sat there by Galafrim and then laid down…he knew what was happening. She tried to see what was going on, but by the sounds she heard she already knew. About fifteen minutes later a creature emerged from where the man had entered. Scion held the equipment and clothing in one hand and then he moved closer to Justice so that he was now looking in her eyes. The horses were frightened, but then the creature spoke something in Russian and the horses calmed down. Justice stepped back so that she might get a good look at the creature, but she did not draw her sword. She trusted Scion enough to know that he would not harm her. What she saw was a jet-black werewolf that stood about ten feet high and was massively large. He still had the mohawk, which was a trademark of Scion's clan.

"I thought that was what you were doing," she simply said.

"If we are to rest in a place such as this a protector is needed," he said in basic, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you…ever." Justice reached out to touch his muzzle in thanks. He knelt down so that she might reach and held one of her hands with his now huge paw then let her feel his face. Scion's fur felt soft and Justice closed her eyes knowing that he would not hurt her. He looked at her curiously…he was amazed that she had no fear of him. He leaned in and nuzzled her. She opened her eyes, looking into his silver orbs that she could get lost in.

"You have no fear of me…and yet, I could rip you apart with one hand. You are truly an amazing woman, Justice Valerious," he said in a shocked tone and then smiled a toothy grin. Justice hesitated at what she was going to say next, but she finally got up the courage to say it. She took and deep breath.

"I do not fear that which I love," she said. Her voice was that of a whisper, but she was sure that he had heard her. His mouth opened in shock and then he looked into her eyes.

"I'd thought that you would never say that…I feel the same way," his tone was sincere and she smiled up at him. She sighed in relief thankful that she had gotten the answer that she wanted.

"Well, at least we're in agreement," she joked. He smiled even wider and looked deep into her chestnut eyes.

"Then we don't have a thing in the world to worry about."


	7. Chapter 6

The Count stood over an icy pool that was held by stone. He had just watched everything that had happened. He began to chuckle and Mariskay came down from the ceiling where she had been sleeping in her bat form. She transformed back into the beautiful woman and walked over to Dracula.

"What amuses you so, Master?" she asked curiously. Dracula turned around to look at her and then smiled cruelly. His eyes glowed red once more, but instead of them being filled with anger they were filled with delight.

"The stranger is a werewolf, Mariskay. He is strong, powerful and the moon does not control his metamorphosis. He will be a wonderful asset to my collection."

"Wonderful news, Master."

"Indeed, my love…we will need to set some type of trap to catch this one, for he will not fall as easily as the others," he said looking at her. She nodded and then Dracula threw her off the balcony from where they were standing. She once again was in her bat state and headed off to see just where the princess and werewolf were.

"Go! Find them, Mariskay and report back here with their location," he called to her. He looked down at his collection of werewolves who were fighting over a large piece of meat. _Just wait my puppets, you will soon taste the flesh of the last of the Valerious family…and then you will have a new member of your clan joining you,_ he thought to himself and the thought did oh so tickle him.

The two of them were soon fast asleep, dreaming of what it would be like to rid the world of the Count. Beating wings woke Justice from her deep sleep and she got up silently so that she would not wake Scion. Justice looked around in the dark, squinting to see where the noise had come from, but the fire they had made only extended the light so far. _Whoosh. Whoosh_. There it was again, the sound of the bride's wings. Justice put her belt back on and put her brother's sword in it's scabbard. She took a step towards the woods and heard the sound once more. Taking a deep breath, Justice began walking into the woods and with each step the sound got louder. After about ten steps the sound ceased and she drew her sword from it's sheath, ready to strike.

Scion woke up when he realized that Justice's scent had begun to disappear from his senses. He looked around the camp and saw that she was nowhere to be found. And then he heard it, the crack of a tree branch hitting the ground. He got up and sniffed the air, he found Justice's scent once more and ran after it letting his nose guide him. The evil laugh of the bride caught his ears and he was soon right underneath where the noise was coming from. But he didn't see Justice. _Where could she be? _He thought to himself frantically.

Justice walked slowly, being careful not to trip over any branches. Again she heard the laugh of the bride and she suddenly stopped. She began to walk backwards, unknowingly taking her closer and closer to the bride. Justice felt the cold breath on her neck and she slowly turned around to see Mariskay staring at her with yellow eyes. The bride hissed and before just could move she quickly backhanded the princess sending her to the ground knocked out.

Scion heard the sound of Justice being backhanded and he ran as fast as his feet would take him to where the sound came from. _I'm coming, Justice, _he thought. But when he finally reached the spot all he found was Justice's crucifix necklace lying on the ground. He heard the screech of the monster that had taken her and ran after it. He stopped seconds before going over the edge of a cliff and he watched helplessly as Mariskay carried Justice away to her master's lair.

Dracula awaited his bride's return and when he saw that she had the Princess with her he laughed so that everyone in his icy castle could here him. Mariskay dropped Justice in front of her master and then landed beside him. Justice landed with a thud and she began to wake up from the stinging blow that had knocked her out. At first everything was blurry, but when she caught the gaunt features of the Count her eye site returned to normal and she scrambled to get to her feet.

"Don't get up so quickly, you might hurt yourself," the Count said in a sarcastic tone. His bride laughed and then was quiet. Justice got up, put her hand up to her cheek, and held it there until the stinging sensation was gone.

"Please Princess, don't hurt yourself…wouldn't want the one that will make me beautiful for all eternity to have an accident…it would break my heart to see something happen to you," Mariskay said in a teasing tone.

"I hope you have a heart, Mariskay, because tonight is the night I drive a stake right through it!" Dracula looked at Justice, noticing that she was very brave for saying something like that to her. Mariskay raised her hand once more to hit Justice, but Dracula caught it and hissed at her.

"Now, is that anyway to treat a guest my dear?"

"What do you want with me, Count?"

"Why, to kill you of course…you and you're family killed my predecessor…but for that I am thankful, for I would've never come into the reign and power I have now. The original vampire was a fool!"

"If you're going to kill me, kill me…don't stand there talking about it," she said challenging the Count.

"You're either very brave to challenge me or very foolish." The count snickered and then looked over at Mariskay.

"My dear girl, why would I kill you now when I need you for bait?"

"Bait?"

"Yes, that werewolf friend of yours would make an excellent addition to my collection and I intend on making him one of my lead werewolves."

"NO! Scion is just a…helper…I won't…"

"You won't what?!?" he hissed, "Do you think that somehow you can save him? Tonight is the Harvest moon and I shall become more powerful than ever and you nor your friend will be able to stop me!" Justice looked Dracula square in the eyes for a long moment.

"I will kill you, Count," she said with a firm tone. Dracula didn't answer he simply waved his had and six Dwergi came up behind him. They filed out so that there were two on each side of Justice.

"Please see that our guest is treated well." The Dwergi pushed Justice forward and knowing that Dwergi were vicious creatures she did not resist.

Luckily, Justice's scent was still strong so it made it easier for Phobos and Scion to track her. _I've got to save her…I will not lose her,_ he thought to himself. Before they knew it they two of them were at the front gate of Dracula's lair. Scion sniffed the air and he couldn't pick any dangerous scent. But, he knew that going in the front door had always been part of a trap. _They make it look easy so that you'll let your gaud down._ Using his superhuman strength he jumped up to one of the columns and began to climb it until he reached a window. He jumped to the windowsill and opened the stain glass window carefully. While Scion was doing that, Phobos began to howl outside the large door creating a distraction. The Dwergi came outside armed with stones and maces and began chasing after Phobos.

Scion jumped down and landed silently on the ground below. Seeing that there was no apparent danger he continued to walk straight. His sensitive wolf ears picked up the sound of Justice's voice calling for help. He ran that way and when he got there he saw the cell that she was locked in. She looked at him and then around the room making sure that the Count was nowhere in sight. Justice didn't know the Count's exact plan to capture Scion, but she did know that she had to kill the Count before he could put Scion under his spell. Then it dawned on her. Scion walked over to the cell she was locked in cautiously, it all seemed to easy to them. But, Scion managed to make it over to her without any trouble.

"Justice, thank God you're all right," he said.

"Scion, I just figured it out, I know why Dracula has werewolves," she said her eyes lighting up. He looked around the room and saw the keys to open the cell door were hanging next to Justice's belt. He went over and grabbed both. He opened the door and handed her the belt. She strapped it to her waste and noticed that the Dwergi had left her sword in the scabbard.

"What have you figured out, Justice?" Scion asked curiously.

"The reason Dracula has werewolves under his spell is so that he can make sure they don't rebel against him, right?"

"Yes, so?"

"So, if one had the will to rebel against him it could kill Dracula…don't you see? Only a werewolf can kill Dracula."

"Are you say…"

"Yes, you could be the one to kill Dracula. But on the fifth stroke of midnight he'll have the power to put you under his spell," she said looking at him, "You kill Dracula and I'll take care of Mariskay."

"No, I'm not going to leave you to fight that beast on your own."

"Scion, it's the only way to save my family…you must kill Dracula. Besides, I can handle myself." Scion looked at her, seeing that they had come too far to turn back now.

"All right, just don't get killed."

"You still don't get it, Scion. It doesn't matter what happens to me, we must save my family."

"It matters to me," he said in a sincere tone. Justice looked at him then she leaned in and kissed his muzzle. Scion pulled her to him and he hugged her. She pulled away from him, knowing that if she had stayed any longer she wouldn't have left, and ran the other direction that lead to the main foyer of the Count's castle. He watched her, and then he ran off in the direction that would lead him to Dracula.


	8. Chapter 7

Justice ran up the stairs that led her to the main bridge that would take her to Mariskay's resting place, which was located above the laboratory where the old Count tried to bring his children to life. She suddenly heard the voices of the same six Dwergi who had imprisoned her. Justice turned the corner and came to a dead end. She looked up and saw a chain hanging some 20 feet up; it would take her directly up to the bridge. Justice heard the Dwergi coming closer and she leaped for the chain. She grabbed it and began climbing up to her destination.

The Dwergi heard the chain rattling and they all ran over to the dead end. One of them looked up and seeing Justice it started yelling, "Valerious" in it's strange language. Justice looked down to see three Dwergi gaining on her and the chain began to swing back and forth. She started climbing as fast as her body would allow. _Damn, these things are fast! _she thought to herself. The one Dwergi that was closest to Justice grabbed a hold of her ankle and started pulling her down. Justice pulled out a pistol and held onto the chain for dear life with her other hand. She cocked it, took aim, and fired. The bullet hit the Dwergi in the head and it plummeted six feet down knocking another one down with it. _Only four more to go, _she thought.

Looking down, Justice saw that the other three Dwergi had joined their other companion who had been climbing. A particular rusted link about a foot down from her caught Justice's attention and she cocked the pistol once more, then…_Blam! Crack!_ The chain that was once dangling below her was now falling down to the ground and then she heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking against the stone floor. _I hope Scion is having better luck than I am._

C_runch! _ The two Dwergi went limp from their broken necks and Scion stepped over the two lifeless bodies. He heard the screech of the Count awakening from his slumber. Scion was almost there, just one more flight of stairs and her would be face-to-face with Dracula. _I shall make him pay for everything he has done to Justice and my kind, _he thought and he took larger strides. He was looking forward to this battle.

The Count looked around his chamber, sensing what was going on. A hot breath was suddenly upon the back of his neck and he calmly turned around. Scion growled and the Count simply smiled manically.

"So, am I suppose to be afraid?" he asked in a mocking manner.

"You shall pay for all the evil you have done, Count!" The Count snickered cruelly and looked Scion square in the eyes.  
"You cannot stop me werewolf," he said looking Scion over, "Yes, you will make a great addition to my collection."

"Never, Count!" Scion roared, swiping at Dracula and sending the vampire right out of a stain glass window that was behind him. The final battle had begun.

Justice climbed up onto the bridge and Mariskay was there waiting for her. Justice unsheathed Maeniel's sword and advanced forward. Mariskay shook her head and then her eyes changed to a golden color.

"So much trouble you make for my master, so much trouble." Justice didn't answer; she just kept advancing toward Mariskay. Unexpectedly, Mariskay did a flip over Justice and knocked the Princess forward. Justice got to her feet and swung her sword at Mariskay. The vampire bride moved out of the way and then morphed into her bat form.

Justice put Maeniel's sword back in it's scabbard and got out a silver stake that she had managed to hide in her right boot. Mariskay came running full speed at Justice and the silver stake. Justice knelt down and in one swift motion thrust the stake straight into the vampire's' heart. Mariskay stumbled back, stunned to see that the Princess had managed to defeat her. Justice walked closer to the vampire, then kicked the stake even further into Mariskay's heart. The bride turned to ash right in front of Justice's eyes. _Now, to help Scion, _she thought and ran towards the direction of Dracula's chambers.

Dracula mutated into his bat form as he fell from the window and flew back up to his chamber. The huge hell-beast looking creature landed right in front of Scion and it towered over the large werewolf. They locked eyes and began to circle each other, tempting each other to make a move. Dracula would take that challenge. He moved closer to the werewolf and then shoved him through the stonewall that led into the rest of the laboratory. Scion landed on the floor with a loud crashing sound. The hell-beast jumped down at full force and Scion moved so that the massive creature wouldn't crush him. The werewolf and hell-beast both let out growls of anger that echoed throughout the castle.

Justice heard the loud cracking sound of the stonewall breaking. It was only minutes after that when she heard the two beasts daring each other to strike. Justice ran as fast as her feet would carry her across the wooden bridge to the middle part of the laboratory. When she finally arrived, Justice looked down to see Dracula. Her brother's description of the beast was right on key. She shifted her attention to Scion, who had gray dust from the wall all over his coat.

The werewolf howled and then charged for the monster that stood before him. The hell-beast was quick and he had one advantage over Scion…flight. The creature simply flew out of the way and countered the werewolf's attack by using his claws on his back feet to hit his opponent in the face. Scion stumbled back from the stinging blow, then looked up at the hell-beast, and snarled. Using his superhuman strength, Scion jumped up onto the creature causing the two of them to fall downward.

She watched as the two creatures descended downward. All of a sudden a Dwergi jumped down from the bridge above and landed on Justice's back. Although Dwergi were small in stature, they were very strong and viscous. The Dwergi's hands clasped around her neck and it began to choke her. Justice grabbed the Dwergi and with all the might she could muster and flipped the small creature in front of her. At what seemed like blinding speed she unsheathed her sword and thrust the blade into it's chest. She looked around, seeing that more and more Dwergi appeared out of the shadows. Justice tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword and removed a dagger from her left boot. The Dwergi advanced and Justice got ready to strike.

They crashed to the stone floor and laid there dazed for a moment. Scion slowly, groggily opened his eyes to see the battle going on above him. He saw Justice take a hit that made the boot dagger that she held in her left hand plunge to the ground. Scion got up, getting ready to jump up to her when the hell-beast stood up hissing at Scion. Scion turned around to look up at the creature that transformed back into his human form. The Count cleared his throat and chuckled. Scion watched his opponent pace back and forth.

"You cannot defeat me, my friend! I am too powerful! And with the harvest moon getting ready to rise in a couple minutes, I shall become invincible!" he said looking up at Justice fighting off his servants. Dracula looked back at Scion.

"The last of the Valerious will fall and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" Scion didn't answer, instead he just snarled in anger and went running towards the Count. _You are wrong, Count, _he thought to himself, _the Valerious family shall live on while you on the other hand will be the one to die!_


	9. Chapter 8

The Dwergi came at Justice from every angle and she fought back gallantly. She managed to get a glimpse of the great face of the clock tower outside. _Ding-dong- ding _went the first toll of midnight and Justice saw the dark gray clouds part to reveal the harvest moon. For an instant she looked down to see that Scion had grabbed the Count. Scion was beginning to crush him in his mighty grasp.

A mace slammed into the side of Justice's head and she heard ringing in her ears. She struggled to stay standing and she took one of her pistols out of it's holster. Her vision blurred, but amazingly she managed to hit her targets. _Ding-dong-ding _went the second toll of midnight. _You must hurry, Scion. Three more tolls and Dracula can put you under his spell._

The second toll of midnight gave the Count renewed strength and he began to change back into the evil being. Once back into his bat state, the Count pulled himself out of Scion's tight hold. _Only three more tolls and this rebellious werewolf will be mine for all eternity, _Dracula thought to himself. The creature kicked Scion and began to fly up towards Justice. Scion saw where the Count was headed and he leaped after him.

Justice saw Dracula coming for her and she got out the stake that she had used to kill his beloved bride. But, the Count flew right past her and kept heading upward. Justice saw Scion following close behind the hell beast and he was soon right next to the Count. _Ding-dong-ding _went the third toll of midnight. Dracula was almost to the large window where he hoped to escape, when Scion grabbed the Count's ankle and pulled him down then slammed him into one of the stone columns. Soon they were falling and still battling it out as they fell.

Justice watched the two creatures fighting in mid air and she was momentarily distracted. Unexpectedly, a Dwergi came up from behind Justice and grabbed her sword from it's sheath. She turned around, but the Dwergi was too fast for her and then sword pierced Justice's abdomen. She fell to her knees, hands covering the wound. Things went dark and this time she did not fight the night. _Ding-dong-ding _went the fourth toll of midnight.

The Count began to laugh evilly and then his eyes shifted to where Justice now kneeled. A cruel smile came to his face and Scion looked at him.

"So, the last of the Valerious family has fallen," he said. As they fell by the middle bridge, Scion saw the Dwergi that held the bloody sword and then he saw Justice slump backwards. _NO!!! It cannot be!!! _his mind screamed. Full of rage and pure fury Scion clamped his large K-9's down on Dracula's throat. The vampire clawed at Scion's face, but he didn't let go of his throat. Scion began to taste ash in his mouth and the vampire began to catch fire. He let go of the Count's throat just as the once great vampire began to disintegrate. He managed to take hold of the rope that held the lower bridge up and he pulled himself over it. Scion looked down and watched the vampire's bones fall to the floor and break into a million pieces. Count Dracula was dead, defeated by that which he controlled for so long. He looked up at the bridge above him and jumped up to it. The Dwergi who had stabbed Justice was nothing more than dust now, with their master's demise it also brought theirs.

Justice lay on her back and he noticed that one of her hands was covered in blood. He ran over to her and propped up her head with his gigantic paw. She was barely breathing and she began to feel cold to Scion.

"Justice? Justice, can you hear me?" he asked desperately, searching for a sign that might say that she was all right. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him but when she tried to speak blood came out the side of her mouth. He removed her hand from the wound and saw that it was serious…too serious for him to heal. She managed to clear her throat.

"What of the Count?" she asked weakly.

"He's dead, Justice…I killed him…we've saved your great family," Scion said fighting back tears. Justice could hear the sadness in his voice. She took her hand and put it on his jet-black muzzle.

"Do not be sad for me, Scion…I am going to join my family…I am going home."

"No…Justice, you're place is here with me…I am your family now," Scion said looking into her eyes. Her eyes were starting to fade and he saw that he was losing her. She closed her eyes.

"Justice? Justice, stay with me here…please," he said and a tear ran down his muzzle. He picked her up and then let out a howl of pure despair and sorrow. _Ding-dong-ding _went the fifth toll of midnight.

"There is one way I could save you," he whispered to himself. He took her arm and opened his mouth. He tried to bite down as gently as he could on her arm and her flesh tasted sweet. Her warm blood filled his mouth.

Justice woke up back at the campsite where Scion and her had set up before she had been taken away by Mariskay. _But wait, the stab wound that the Dwergi gave me, I should be…_ She tried sitting up but the pain in her abdomen was still intense. _But how?_ She asked herself. She noticed that her right arm had been bandaged up in some of Scion's tunic. Justice unwrapped the bandage and saw the bite mark. Stunned, she ran her hand over it and sure enough it wasn't a dream. Justice had never been afraid to die until she had met Scion…until he gave her something to live for, the best thing to live for…love.

managed to crawl over to him. He opened his eyes and tears still flowed from them.

"Scion, what's wrong?" He didn't answer her, he just kept whining softly. She put a hand on his head and began to pet him.

"We've won, what is there to be sad about?"

"So much suffering was involved to get to this point…to get to this…freedom I suppose." She nodded in agreement with him, but she also knew that with pain came great sacrifice. Justice stood up and then turned to look at him.

"Why don't you go ahead and morph back into your human state…I have a feeling that we aren't going to need you as a werewolf for our journey home."

"Home?"

"Yes, home. To our home."

"You would choose a life with me?" he asked surprised.

"Scion, I would rather spend one life time with one than to live alone in this world for the rest of my days." Scion's mouth dropped in shock. No one had ever loved him before…at least not like this. He got up and returned her sincere look. He simply nodded and then went back into the forest. She once again heard noise come from the woods and soon out walked Scion dressed in his usual garb. He untied the horses in silence and then walked them over to her. She took Selene's reigns and he took Galafrim's.

When he looked into her eyes he saw something different in them, something that hadn't been there before he bit her…they had no fear in them. She began walking and he grabbed her by the arm, stopping her. She turned around to look deep into the silver pools of his eyes and he did the same in hers. He leaned in and kissed her passionately and then they parted just looking at one another for some time before mounting their horses.

"So, where do you desire to go now, my dear? We have all eternity to travel anywhere you wish to go." She looked at him and smiled widely. He knew what she was thinking.


	10. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

She looked out over the opaque water of the Adriatic Sea from the boat that Scion had chartered for the two of them. She sighed deeply and leaned up against the wooden railing while watching the sunset. Scion came up behind her with her black riding jacket and she put it on. He smiled at her and then joined her leaning on the railing.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so."

"Good," he said looking at her, "one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

"You're not even looking at the sunset."

"I know," he said smirking. She returned his gaze. She had never been happier in her life. She recalled the comment that the villager had made to her about how she would never need anyone because she was stronger than that. _I am strong, but companionship is the one thing that will carry you through the ages…thank God that I have finally found the one I can be happy with. _Scion leaned in and kissed her then together they watched the sunset and a new life began for both of them.

The End


End file.
